Understanding Online Faculty Perceptions and Design Considerations Regarding the Principles of Universal Design for Learning in Online Courses

This qualitative case study aimed to explore faculty perceptions and design considerations on applying UDL principles to support diverse learning needs for student success. Five faculty participants from a public urban research university were interviewed through semi-structured interviews. Additionally, participants submitted online course artifacts from before and after training for review to illustrate the implementation of UDL principles. Three research questions guided this study: How do faculty learn about UDL guidelines to design online courses? How does faculty knowledge of UDL guidelines influence their online course design? How do faculty perceive challenges in incorporating UDL guidelines into the design of online courses? Participants expressed their thoughts on whether or not their institution should require training and how that training would best be delivered. Participants also discussed applying UDL strategies to their online course designs, including structure and usability. Lastly, participants discussed the challenges of applying UDL principles in online course design including increasing engagement and lack of institutional support. These findings align with the UDL guidelines and the research questions and have implications for online faculty, course designers, and developers.